


We love you, like you are our own

by Illidria



Category: Fullmetal Alchemist - All Media Types, Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood & Manga
Genre: Alternate Universe - Future, Established Relationship, F/M, Family Fluff, OT3 - Basis, Original Character(s)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-20
Updated: 2018-05-20
Packaged: 2019-05-09 12:57:22
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,530
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14716485
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Illidria/pseuds/Illidria
Summary: To visit the zoo is a big thing to plan, especially when you're taking four children. But Miles and Olivier can be trusted with getting their kids to and from safely, though the knowledge that this day could be one of their last together like this, or one of their best, set their hearts on fire. - A family-future fic.





	We love you, like you are our own

**Author's Note:**

  * For [InkuisitivSkins](https://archiveofourown.org/users/InkuisitivSkins/gifts).



> Okay Dylan, here it is:
> 
> The Miles and Olivier Parental Fic you've been waiting for for so long!  
> I'll be honest, it gave me some trouble, but then I came back to my second of four drafts for it, thinking that you might like it. It is not completely LivMiles, as there is a bit of OT3-goodness in it. As it is a spiritual successor to "I love you like you are mine" basically. I hope you like it still, though, even if I bend the prompt a little D:
> 
> Happy reading!

“Cub, you got the food?”

Olivier called over to their oldest, who gave a thumbs-up.

Yaqub, the name an ishvalan stroke of genius on Miles part as it let them keep on using their favourite nickname for their son, had turned ten a few weeks ago. Had already been at birth bigger than average, was now too, though slowly was starting to lose his baby fat. His skin fair, more like his fathers then like hers though, Buccaneer never having seen his son being born.

Sometimes Olivier and Miles still sad, often even, though the happiness that Buccaneer was still in their hearts, lived on in their cub, making the days without him easier to bear. Cub even looking like him a lot, jet-black curls and a huge grin, though he’d inherited his mother’s eyes. Was a good boy, the positive kind.

“Packed it all mom, but two of the bottles won’t fit.”

“Kiran, you still got some room?”

Red eyes peeking around the corner, where their second-oldest was fighting with the straps of his backpack.

“I still got room, but these f…,” looked sternly at him, which had him catch his tongue, “fantastic straps are too lose!”

Miles already walking over while she nodded, helping with getting these fucking straps to cooperate.

The two looking so very much alike to her, that it was almost scary. Kiran was their second son, eight years old, taking after Miles not only in complexion and hair-colour, but also when it came to most of his facial features. His eyes had the same colour as his fathers, the same form and when Kiran smiled, Olivier knowing perfectly well how her husband must’ve looked like as a kid. The thing she’d bestowed on the kid had only been curls, a need for adventure paired with a lot of self-confidence and the uncanny inclination to swear.

Or maybe she’d just cussed too much when he could hear.

“Are these the only diapers we still have?”

Vahar speaking quietly, having seemingly materialized to her left.

“There should be more under the washbasin in the bath. And thank you again for filling up the changing bag.”

Smiled at him, though he only looked away and continued with what he was doing.

Eight months ago Scar had come and visited them after nightfall in their home, Cub and Kiran had already been in bed. Had told them that there was an emergency, that he needed their help. That he could understand if they said no, Olivier having been four months pregnant at that time, Miles and her awfully busy with work, too.

And not two days later Vahar had been introduced to them, an ishvalan boy, hair cropped short and the stubble white, skin a good few shades darker than Miles. From the southernmost settlements Scar had said. His eyes deep pools, looking way too old for a six-year-old. A little white nick under his eye, a scar, not wider than a fingernail.

They were his seventh home in five years.

“I found them. Is there anything more I can do?”

He’d not spoken quietly from the beginning, instead had been almost silent and drawn into himself, which then quickly had evolved into anger and screaming. Scar only knew that the boy had been through a lot, that his mother had vanished from the village he’d been born him, that nobody had ever known a father. That people tended to be overchallenged with him.

Miles put a hand to his shoulder, the problem with Kiran’s backpack seemingly solved.

“Nothing more, no worries. Also, this is your birthday-trip, so leave it all to us.”

Their trip to central cities zoo, a few days after Vahar’s seventh birthday feeling a bit like a mission to her, or at least the preparations.

“So you boys are ready?”

Cub and Kiran proclaiming yes loudly, Vahar silently nodding and Miles throwing the diaper bag over his shoulder, looking at her.

“You two are alright and bundled up?”

Their little girl sleeping in the baby sling in front of her chest, Olivier still keeping on hand on her back, nodding too.

“We’re alright and good to go. So, let’s go!”

Her family filing out of the house in front of her, the walk to the Zoo a short one from her family’s temporary home.

The first few months with Vahar hadn’t been easy, too many things going on at once already anyways. Cub had broken his wrist just a week before, was still cranky and moody when Vahar pestered him with the question why he was looking so different from his brother _and_ from his mother. Kiran having come to his brother’s defence, which escalated into a fight faster than Miles and her had been able to blink.

Miles had stepped in that day, each of the kids send to separate rooms, while they’d talked about what to do.

Had read up before of course, had talked to Scar and looked at the files that existed. Learned that Vahar always did that in new homes, seemingly wanting attention, no family having been able to stand it for more than nine months at the most. But they’d agreed, had talked about it, Miles showing fear that they’d taken on a task too big for them, Olivier fearing that this could hurt their boys, the baby that was to come.

And yet, they’d vowed to try, to do their best. Vahar a child that deserved a chance.

As such, they treated him like their own. Got a fair share of the chores and the same punishments their other two got when doing something that wasn’t alright. Helped with his homework, tried to get to know him and did not hold a grudge when he’d done something bad. Vahar did not open up quickly, not immediately, but very gradually.

When their little girl had been born, Vahar had been a part of their family, astonished by the baby and already so much more happy than before.

Their three boys walking and running in front of them, looking over fences and chatting amongst themselves, all adventurous in their own right. Miles and her sticking behind them with the little one, their girl still sleeping soundly.

Miles hand took her free one, his words easy, eyes on the kids.

“Think he’ll like it?”

Knew what her husband meant, ten years raising kids together and another ten years loving another before that giving you a pretty good insight into the others emotions.

“I don’t know, really. He seemed so happy at the party with the other kids in Ishval, but now he’s clearly uncomfortable.”

Miles answer to that, the reason, clear. To both of them really, as they were able to do math.

“He thinks his time is up, doesn’t he?”

There’d still been a lot of problems of course.

Vahar had, after a pretty calm month following the first phase of settling in, grown moody again. And they’d been able to tell that it had directly correlated with her becoming more and more visibly pregnant, the talk and plans often about the baby now. He’d only begrudgingly helped with setting up the room for his sibling-to-be, it being clear to them that he feared to be cast out once the baby was born.

They’d reassured him of course, loved him through his anger and tried to make him a part of every activity, but he’d still withdrawn and been frustrated. And it had been a good thing that Vahar had thrown the door angrily shut on his way in on one particular day, because Olivier had been able to call out to him then, her legs having given out under her when a pain unlike any other before had rushed through her. He’d called the ambulance, had stayed with her until they came and talked to her.

And in turn, she’d talked to him, scared out of her mind in that moment, the honesty they’d shared until the paramedics came deepening their bond significantly.

When their little daughter, their Nara, had finally been born then, Miles had brought their sons in to see, all three of them. Miles the first to hold the girl, handing her over to Cub. After long minutes he’d given his little sister to Kiran. Their second then handing Nara to Vahar, who’d looked dumbstruck at that, ishvalan traditions and their meaning second nature to him.

After that, things had calmed a lot, until they were just a big family with three boys constantly getting in trouble and a little baby girl sleeping most of the time.

“Well, we’ll reassure him that this isn’t the case.”

* * *

“Look, I found them!”

Vahar waving the map at him, pointing at it excitedly. His little ponytail, little more than a bump if Miles were honest, bobbing up and down.

He leaned down to his son.

“You’re right, there are the bears. But what about _your_ favourite animal?”

Vahar’s excitement had won over on their way to the zoo, withdrawing himself forgotten for almost two hours of wandering through the beautiful place now. He’d laughed with Kiran at the antics of the Elephants and with Cub rushed through the insects presented in their terraria. When Miles had given Nara a diaper change, Vahar had even insisted on helping, handing him things like he thought doctors did. Complaining about the smell of course.

Olivier and he had soon noticed that Vahar often tried to proof his usefulness.

Vahar, who was still thinking hard about what his favourite animal was. Swayed from side to side while thinking, a finger pushing up his nose. Jumped and smiled, when he finally seemed to have found an answer.

“I like the Tyrannosaurus the best!”

Miles smiled encouragingly, _knowing_ that Vahar knew that he wouldn’t find a Tyrannosaurus in a zoo. The boy smiling wider, his joke caught.

“I wanna see the crocodiles!”

Leaned closer to look at the map together with him.

“Can you find them on the map?”

Let his son search, while revelling in the feeling of Vahar leaning onto him.

* * *

“Like that?”

Watched as Miles rolled his shoulders, before looking at her.

“Can you tighten it on the left side?”

Smiled while doing so, breathing into her husband’s ear.

“Worrywart!”

Was by a hand quickly pulled into him, a kiss pressed to her lips and a smile not meeting much resistance when stretching her mouth.

“Don’t squeeze like that, I’ve gotten fat!”

Miles laugh breathy, his eyes shining while he spoke unbelievingly.

“You had a baby not even four months ago! That’s not fat, that’s the curves of an amazing woman!”

Moved against him once more, not able to contain her laughter, Nara only smiling at their easy swaying, sitting securely in her front-row-seat.

The thing happening that always happened when they were close and kissed in public.

“ _Ewwwwww_!”

Instead of two now three boys in front of them, one looking more disgusted then the next one.

“Do you _always_ have to do this?!”

Olivier had to give it to Cub, as he had to put up with it the longest. Smiled at their son’s, raising an eyebrow.

“Believe me, if we were fighting it would be much more embarrassing.”

Cub still made a face, though Kiran’s and Vahar’s attention had been grabbed by something else. Her second speaking up, red eyes boring into hers, voice filled with as much urgency as an eight-year-old could put into it. Which was a lot.

“The feeding begins soon, we must hurry!”

Vahar suddenly looked anxious. Sometimes it gave Olivier pause just how _quick_ she’d grown to love the boy.

“Well then,” took the lead, as Miles and she had already talked, her husband preferring to stay in the back with Nara, “Who wants to go front-row with me and Vahar?”

That her youngest boy would want to watch from as close as possible was clear to her, but the other two were always a big question mark in such situations. Cub cocked his head to the side, looking at his father.

“I’ll stay in the back with _Baba_ , don’t need to stand too close.”

Her heart flaring at the use of the Ishvalan word for father, Cub moving over to Miles and smiling up at him. He’d never had much heart for animals devouring others, as he was very much a gentle soul.

“I don’t need to be front row either.”

These words surprising her coming from Kiran, the boy usually so much more adventurous. But he’d always been the kind to pull out with little words if things squiked him out. Went to stand next to Miles too, who bent down and exchanged a few whispered words with him. The smile exchanged giving her peace.

“Then it’s only you and me, huh? Let’s make sure that we get the best point to look from!”

Waved her boys, took Vahar by the hand, pushing through the crowd.

Coming to a halt in front of a thick pane of glass, not many people waiting yet. Olivier crouching down, Vahar standing with his back to her, between her legs. Hands on the glass, nose almost pushed flat. Close to shaking with excitement.

Watched the crocodiles swim down there in the enclosure, heads breaking the surface of the murky water, the huge animals seemingly knowing that food was coming. And not two minutes later the handler stepped into the enclosure talking facts about the crocodiles and introducing them by name.

Pieces of meat thrown and the crocodiles heaving their bodies out of the water, in powerful displays of strength. Vahar squealing with excitement in front of her, turning around, eyes alight with happiness. Surprising her with something he’d never said before.

“Look at that mommy!”

Was turning back around again, pointing excitedly and wiggling up and down.

Olivier watched through hazy eyes.

* * *

“Go, but stay where you can see us!”

Miles sat down on the bench on the playgrounds edge carefully, one hand on Nara’s back. Their little girl was starting to get fussy, perfectly in time with Olivier’s comment that they’d need to find a place to nurse soon, as she’d started to leak.

And so they’d cut the visit to the tiger’s enclosure short, Kiran bubbling with energy and desperately needing an outlet, while Cub and Vahar had wanted to eat. Thus they’d aimed for the playground, Olivier a bit quiet after the crocodiles and him desperately needing to get off his feet for a few minutes.

The boys gone in a flash, their backpacks at their feet and food even forgotten by Cub when faced with the huge and fun looking playground.

“Is everything alright my love?”

Miles busy with freeing Nara from the sling, while Olivier was already in the process of unbuttoning her blouse. Was unusually quiet when she spoke.

“Vahar called me mommy.”

His work was forgotten for several moments, until Nara pulled him out of his inane smile with a gurgle. Diligently he worked on freeing their daughter completely, handing her over to Olivier.

“But that’s great! I’m… I can’t even find words!”

Watched, positioning himself with all the training he’d gotten over the years to award his wife and daughter as much privacy as possible, as Olivier took Nara in her arms and settled so the girl could nurse. Their littlest one latching on immediately.

Olivier smiling, so very beautifully.

“I think it was a heat of the moment thing, really. But it still felt…”

Miles smiling again, was close to beaming he knew.

“Like when Cub first called me _Baba_?”

A laugh coming from her, relaxation having her shoulders ease down.

“You were bawling for _hours_!”

Looked her up and down, his wife and their beautiful daughter, so much at ease.

“It was a touching moment. And an important one. What do you think Vahar will say tonight?”

They’d talked about it, were planning during each evening for weeks now, as soon as their kids were in bed.

It had become their goal to adopt Vahar, to make him a full member of their family, not only by heart, but by law. Both of them not happy with the threat hanging over their heads like a sword that the system could at any point decide that Vahar was to move families.

Knowing that this was a viable possibility, as they’d been an emergency family for him from the start, by most seen as a temporary solution at best. And not a very good one, by those set on keeping Ishvalan children in purely ishvalan families.

“I can’t gauge his reaction, really. It could be that he thinks that we’re making a joke, or that he’s not really that happy with us and just acting very well. We both noticed how well he can adapt.”

Miles smiled again and cocked his head to the side, Nara unlatching for a moment to burp. Looked at Olivier with a soft gaze, knowing by her look alone that she was calling him a sob inside her head already.

“You look relaxed though. Not just now, but with the boys and Nara and,” breathed out, smiling, “everything.”

Her smile an earnest one, warm and loving.

“It’s,” Olivier pausing in her words for a moment, looking around and rearranging Nara, “this time everything seems easier, you know? We found our rhythm fast with Nara, the boys are as relaxed as can be. This trip to central worked so well, without much of a fuss and when Scar called yesterday evening and said that he already found four advocates for our adoption of Vahar…”

Her words cut short by a yell from the distance, Kiran on the top of the climbing contraption and waving in their direction.

“Look mommy, look daddy!”

They both waved, looking at one another and Miles raising his eyebrows.

“He’s got that from you. I never went further than the swings at that age.”

Looked at them, Nara looking into her mother’s eyes, one hand grasping for stray strands of hair.

Their little one looked like her a lot, something Miles had hoped for, a near-clone of Buccaneer and him already existing. Nara’s skin fairer than his, though not as pale as Olivier’s. Hair a shade lighter than her mothers, but far from ishvalan-white. Her eyes though, like her whole face almost completely like Olivier’s, a deep blue. There was not a hint of red coming through yet, which had Miles hope that Nara’s eyes would stay like that.

“Think she’ll be an adventurer?”

Olivier shrugging.

“Maybe? Though to make things fair she should be a calm one. As you claim that Kiran and Vahar act like me…”

Laughed, ready for his daughter when Olivier handed her over, softly patting his little girls back.

“Kiran on the top of the climbing contraption and Vahar’s favourite animal crocodiles? Please, soon they’ll want to train with the sword!”

Olivier rearranging herself, buttoning up her blouse, smiling at him. Scooted over then, their hips bumping together, her body nestling into his, head on his shoulder. Their boys running over the playground, Kiran climbing up and down, while Vahar was trying to scale the wooden pirate-ship a bit to the right.

Cub on the swings with a big smile on his face.

“See, Cub is on the swings. He’s so much like you, it almost scary!”

Miles holding Nara tighter, who babbled into his ear, looking at him with her big blue eyes.

“Yes, but he’s also the only one training swordsmanship of the lot.”

An elbow finding his ribs, softly.

“Like you’re _not_ a good sword-fighter!”

Both of them laughing together, waiting for their boys to inevitably complain about their lovey-doveyness.

Nara letting out a mighty burb. Miles sighed.

“As of _now_ , she’s taking after you.”

* * *

“Look how huge it is _Baba_!”

The bear was standing on its hind feet, stretching so it could reach the fruit the caretakers had hidden in one of the enclosures trees. Cub leaning forward to look closer, smiling widely and looking so much like his father then, that Miles felt a bit choked up.

Smiled through it though, his son turning to him.

“Are those in the Briggs mountains as big?”

Shook his head, out of the corner of his eye seeing Olivier with Nara held to her chest, Kiran and Vahar playing catch, having looked at the bears enough seemingly.

“Those in the Briggs mountains are a good bit bigger than these here. But that’s to be expected, as these are amestrian common bears. Up at Briggs you only find the drachman grizzly.”

Cub nodded, soaking up the information, though with the bear now sitting down and eating fruit, looking towards his mother and siblings too.

His son’s face crunching up only the tiniest bit, already so well-trained in guarding his emotions.

“Vahar is scared that you’ll send him away soon. Will you?”

Was also one for cutting right to the chase, influenced a lot by his mother in that regard.

“Not if we can help it. But it’ll be a lot of paperwork.”

Cub had learned from them what paperwork meant, though took Miles answer with a nod. He’d proven that he was old enough to understand the situation, had with ease forgiven the younger boy his taunts from the first few weeks of his stay. Turned towards the bears again, his favourite animals by far, the boy’s soul seemingly never having forgotten that he’d spent the first two years of his life almost exclusively in the mountains of Briggs.

“I’m glad, I don’t want Vahar to go. And _Baba_ ,” turned to his son, looking him in the eyes, “will we visit father while we’re in central?”

Miles breathing in and out through his nose once, the stinging in his eyes back for a second, the fist clenched around his heart.

Cub knew it all, that he had two fathers, that Buccaneer had died before he’d been born. A visit to his grave standard procedure when they visited Central. And as such Miles nodded, which in turn made his son smile.

With more ease he leaned on the handrail, looking at the bear again.

“I’m glad. I wanna tell him about Vahar and Nara. And about the bears.”

Miles watching the bear too, with a proud smile on his face.

* * *

“Will we visit grandma and grandpa?”

Kiran had decided that he wanted to walk next to her and tell Nara all about the tiger plushie he’d picked out for her at the gift shop. The little girl not inclined to listen at all though, having fallen asleep not five minutes after her diaper change before they’d exited the zoo. Was since then sleeping bundled up in front of her chest, without even acknowledging the traffic passing them.

Olivier though, was happy to chat with their son.

“Tomorrow, yes. They are coming back from a vacation to Drachma tonight, so we’ll go there by tomorrow afternoon.”

Kiran still able to skip next to her, even though they’d visited the playground once more before leaving, after he’d tried to chase the goats at the petting zoo.

“Why so late?!”

“Because they’re coming back late tonight and want to sleep in tomorrow morning. That way they can better play with you lot when we visit.”

The boy running around her once, while she looked at Miles broad back, walking with Cub and Vahar in front of them, looking back every so often.

“Can we go swimming there?”

Nara moved, which prompted Olivier to readjust her.

“When the weather is as today then yes. But only if your grandparents say it’s okay.”

They would, Olivier had no doubt of that.

They’d still been a bit scandalised when Cub had been born, the relationship-constellation she’d lived in for almost a decade becoming clear to them. But when Kiran had followed later, they’d already been in full grandchildren-adoration mode. When the news of the soon-to-be-born Nara had reached them, alongside their taking in of Vahar, her father had responded by saying that he’d get his layers on stand-by, should the government want to try anything “funky”.

Olivier was glad for that though, for the simple fact that her parents had let go of their conventions and instead accepted her live for what it was. Accepted her husband and children as they were.

“What will do for the rest of today mommy?”

She refrained from shrugging, though felt a smile pull at her lips.

“Well, it’s already late. So I’d say you can play a bit in the living room of the house. And I want you boys to take a bath before dinner.”

The moaning not at all unexpected.

“But I’m not dirty at all!”

Looked him up and down, from his pants caked in playground-dirt to his shirt where there were still imprints and dark spots from the nips of several petting-zoo animals.

A pointed look from her enough to cut his whining short. He crossed his arms, pouted, but then his energy won out.

“Okay, I’ll bath then. But did you know that Vahar is weirded out by the tub in the house?”

Their stay in one of her families’ town-houses weird enough for her youngest son, as he’d up until now had only ever been in Ishval, where their family home wasn’t small, but still not nearly close to being as big as the house they were currently staying at.

“He only knows the bathhouses in Ishval, or our shower at home. I think he’s never seen a bathtub in a house before.”

Their trips to the bathhouse were a bi-daily occurrence, as the boys tended to roll in the mud and she simply liked how refreshing the water was. Also, there was a nice social aspect to it, the talk with the other women often fun, even more so now that she always had Nara with her.

“Oh, then I can understand it. I’ll show him that it isn’t bad at all when we go bath later. Will you come with us too this time, or only daddy?”

Ishvalan bathhouses were divided by gender. So it was always Miles job to get the boys clean.

A rule she hoped to not be abolished any time soon.

But still…

“Of course I’ll come with you. You told me that you can now hold your breath for more than three minutes and I wanna see that!”

Kiran beamed at her.

* * *

Miles wrapped his arms around her tight in the hallway, swaying to an unheard music to several minutes with his wife.

Their voices barely above a whisper when they spoke, both tired, yet nervous about what was to come.

“Cub?”

Olivier answering his question, having been busy with burping their daughter after her evening-snack.

“Still reading in his book. I told him he’s got half an hour more until we come for lights out and saying good night. Nara is in her crib in his room, he said he’ll have an eye on her. But she’s sleeping anyways now. Kiran?”

Miles letting his hands run up and down her back, clad in one of his shirts he noted, Olivier seemingly already changed for going to bed.

“I read him a story, but he was so tired that he fell asleep halfway through it. Was clutching his new ape plushie and is positively out like a light. You changed already?”

Warmth flowing through him at her chuckle, a soft kiss pressed to his throat.

“Nara puked on me. And as I changed shirts I thought about how much I hated doing things half-assed.”

Silence stretching on between them for several more moments, Miles aware that she too knew what was to come, how badly this could end. Yet, he noted that she pulled herself up, created a bit of distance between them.

Even though it only was enough to make the tips of their noses touch.

“You ready? He’s still awake?”

Nodded.

“As I can be. Was still reading five minutes ago.”

And with a deep breath they then went into Vahar’s room, Olivier knocking softly while he was already peeking his head in. A practiced ritual taking place for several moments, Vahar waving at them to come in, only his night-light on still, Olivier sitting down by his feet, sticking hers under their son’s blanket, while he sat down by his head, one leg up on the bed.

Their chatter idle at first, as always before kissing their children good night.

“I’ve been reading my book to Toother!”

The plush crocodile in the crook of Vahar’s arm, positioned so it could look properly at the colourful pictures.

Miles felt himself speak, though also was almost overwhelmed by nervousness.

“Did you have fun today? Saw all the animals you wanted to see?”

Vahar’s smile a bit toothless, though wide and truly happy, while he told them about all the things he’d liked today.

“…and then when we went to look at the duckbills at the end, that was great. I didn’t even know an animal like that existed!”

Miles mind reeling, only able to think about the day Vahar had been brought to them by Scar, how he’d seemed to despise them at first. He’d not spoken much amestrian, had been brought up in families in which Ishvalan was the norm. Had before Olivier never interacted with an amestrian person either. And it had shown.

Olivier the one finding words, smiling so softly again. Miles knowing that many more would fall for her if they’d only witness this kind of smile.

“Vahar, you know that you’re officially only with us as a child in care, right? Do you know what that means?”

The boy nodding, while Miles could do little more than touch a hand to his shoulder, afraid of what was to come.

Over time and not after a heap of trouble, Vahar had started to accept them, had started to grow into their little family. He’d learned amestrian, understood that ishvalan traditions were optional, that Olivier was fearsome alright, but always on his side. Heck, Vahar had found her when little Nara had during labour pressed on the wrong nerves, rendering Olivier unable to move. Had immediately taken to his little sister and their family even more.

“It means that I’m not really your son and that I have to go away again soon.”

Miles feeling his hand being shrugged off, Vahar’s eyes on the blanket, on neither of them. Found his voice again.

“That’s almost right, though it does not have to be this way. You see, Olivier and I, but also Cub and Kiran and Nara, we all think you are a part of our family already.”

Vahar not looking yet, shaking, the silent tears Miles spotted enough to have his own eyes sting. Olivier’s voice coming at that, warm and honest and full of fierceness.

“We want to adopt you, to make it official that you are our son and so nobody can take you away again. But we need to know if you’d want that, so we…”

The movements then quicker than Miles could process, Vahar suddenly on his knees, one of his hands in the tiny one, as well as one of Olivier’s. The boy sounding hoarse all of a sudden, the tears as real as the boy’s smile.

“Yes, yes, I want you to be my family. I don’t want to go away again, _please_!”

Miles letting the tears fall when they hugged Vahar, kisses pressed to his head. Could not say anything while listening to this little boy’s pleas for a mommy and a daddy, to stay with his siblings, his older brothers and his little sister.

Olivier seemingly the only one with any sense left, though he could hear how pressed her voice was, how close she was too, to letting her dams break.

“It’ll be a long fight Vahar, it is not sure that we’ll be allowed to keep you, we…”

“You’ll make it possible!”

The unwavering hope in his voice enough to shut them both up for a while, to hold him and the other tighter.

And it took a long while then until Vahar fell asleep, his plushie in his arms and a smile on his face. Miles taking Olivier by the hand after she softly pushed the white strands out of Vahar’s sleeping face. Cub wished a good night calmly, their oldest understanding so much already, receiving their kissed and wishes with a smile, waving when they shut the door, Nara’s crib rolled out with them.

Got ready to sleep now, Olivier already changed, positioning their daughters crib while he changed into pyjama pants. Both turning off the lights, slipping under the covers, almost silently. Their bodies finding the others though, immediately embracing, foreheads touching.

And it took them a long while to fall asleep, their conversation whispered and their tears hot. Their knowledge that there was a fight to come, one they were hellbent on winning. The knowledge that soon they’d return to their little house in Ishval, even closer as a family.

A family with three sons and one daughter.

Miles kissed his wife once more for good measure, before sleep finally claimed him.

**Author's Note:**

> Hey guys, this story is part of the [LLF Comment Project](https://longlivefeedback.tumblr.com/llfcommentproject), whose goal is to improve communication between readers and authors. The goal of it is to make commenting easier for readers and to increase the feedback writers get. As such, I invite you to leave:
> 
> _Short comments_   
>  _Long comments_   
>  _Questions_   
>  _Constructive criticism_   
>  _Reader-reader interaction_   
>  _extra-kudos as <3_
> 
> I cherish all comments, weather they be long or short, even only one word makes me squeal with happiness after all. And if you’re seeing this fic ten years after I published it, don’t worry: Old or new, I’ll still love what you left me to read <3 I answer to all comment btw, though it sometimes takes me a day or two. Should you not want me to answer, just write _whisper_ in front of it.  
>  I thank you for reading this fic of mine through to the end. As I said, I appreciate all comments and kudos and should you want to get into direct contact with me [this is my tumblr](http://illidria.tumblr.com/). There you can get into discussions with me, or even send in wish-fics.  
> Happy reading and thank you <3


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